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The government has been urged to carry out part II of the Kumasi market redevelopment project by the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union (CKCMTU).
The union, which claims some of its members are still living at home because they cannot afford to move to the Race Course, where the market is presently located, and are thus missing out on a source of income, is demanding that the government complete the project as planned.
The union called a news conference on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Kumasi, Ghana, and requested an explanation for why the project had come to a standstill.
“After December 2022, we have observed that things have come to a halt,” said Ms. Emelia Koffiet, secretary of the Combined Central Market Traders Association. As seen over the previous few months, no construction is currently being done at the location. We have been informed, and this information is coming to us from a very trustworthy source, that the workforce on the site has been significantly decreased between January 2023 and the current date of March 2023.
The union claimed that phase I of the market’s building, which is now the Kejetia City market, was finished under former President John Dramani Mahama. It then questioned why the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which expressed commitment to finishing phase II, has stalled the project.
“Why is the NPP, who has decided to do the phase II of the new construction, not working on it? Do we, as stakeholders, not deserve to be told do we not deserve to get an explanation for why the market has been halted?
“Are we to sit aloof and watch as things happen because we have examples we have seen the Kofrom market coming to a standstill for years? Are we to sit down and watch as the Kumasi market also comes to a standstill while people remain in the house jobless, while our kids are not going to school?” The union’s secretary questioned.
The organization emphasized that it wanted the project to go forward in order to safeguard its members’ main source of income.
We want the job to go on and on right away, it stated.
It therefore urged the government to provide justification for delaying the project, as some of its members are waiting at home for the market to be finished before returning to conduct business.
The union’s president emphasized, “We’re calling on the NPP administration to respond to us.
The union further advised the NPP’s flagbearer and legislative candidates against running for office while the government withheld information on the reasons why phase II of the building project had halted.
“We are going to organise series upon series of demonstrations to send our grievances to the government. If that is what they want to see then we will get that done. We will turn the city over. We will turn the region over. We will turn the nation over if that is what it will take to get them to answer us,” the union’s secretary added.
The union’s secretary stated: “Kumasi is trade, trade is Kumasi. This is our livelihood. We demand answers from them. If they are not ready to give us answers, then nobody should come here to campaign.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
